Courts may offer coral relief

CORALS are under siege worldwide, but there is renewed hope that they can be saved. A test that can detect the invisible effects of pollution is allowing scientists to pinpoint exactly what is stressing the coral - and make the culprits pay (see "Coral 'whisperers' diagnose reef pollution woes").

The "Coral Whisperer" project has already secured one landmark ruling. In 2002, the Kyowa Violet cargo ship spilled a large amount of fuel oil onto the reef surrounding the Micronesian island of Yap. The islanders took the shipping company to court and, with the help of Coral Whisperer tests, won record damages. The shipping company appealed the decision, but in the end it paid up.

Though a small victory, the case hints at big possibilities: similar research on corals from the Gulf of Mexico could play a role in determining the destination of damages from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The greatest pollution issue of all - greenhouse gas emissions - still imperils corals. But by helping to win a landmark judgment in Micronesia, the Coral Whisperer project gives hope that the world's reefs may live to have their day in court.

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